


Made of Stone

by funnygirlthatbelle13



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: AU, F/M, Trent Ikithon is his own warning, statue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24176182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnygirlthatbelle13/pseuds/funnygirlthatbelle13
Summary: Jester has been having the same dream every night about a crumbling ruin guarding a statue of a handsome man. She goes and searches for it, not knowing that the statue is a man waiting for her to set him free.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 15
Kudos: 68





	Made of Stone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Linzer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Linzer/gifts).



> Hi! So Lin came up with this image and shared it in the widojest discord server, and I loved it to much not to write it!

She was back here again, at the old, crumbling amphitheater. It once would have been an impressive monument, but now, was hardly a monument to anything besides the passage of time, as ivy seemed to overtake the crumbling mass of stone. She floated through the towering archway on the eastern side, away from the ocean that sparkled in the moonlight. 

Inside the amphitheater was filled with hundreds upon thousands of thorn-covered vines. But she did not fear, for in this state, the vines simply parted for her. She made her way into the very center of the arena.

And there he was. Maybe it was silly to call a statue he, but she had seen him so many times that it was hard not to think of him as a living, breathing person. He just looked so lifelike, with his long, wavy hair that partially blocked his face, dimple in his chin, coat flowing around him as though a wind was coming in from the east, and his eyes… or the one she could see, at least, seemed so full of sorrow that she couldn’t stop herself from imagining a story behind that expression. 

She stared at him for no one knew how long, seconds, minutes, hours, before she was filled with the overwhelming urge to touch him. Despite knowing what would happen next, her hand reached out to brush the hair from his face when… 

Jester woke up, as always, a curse escaping her mouth before she was even fully awake. 

This dream had originally been something of a rarity, appearing maybe once every other month. But now, she had it every single night. This was more than just a strange, reoccurring dream, she realized. The Traveler was trying to tell her something. But what?

She’d have to find the statue to find out. 

It turns out that finding a mysterious old ruin based on nothing but appearance was harder than Jester had initially anticipated. But, after months of travel, she had finally reached the small, island nation of Zemnia. And here it was, only a few miles from the Rexxentrum port: the old ruin she had seen in her dreams for almost a year now. 

“But the ruin is useless,”Jamedi, an archaeologist she had met on the boat had explained, “Too destroyed to be of interest to historians and too strong to be demolished and put to better use.”

Still, Jester could not have prevented herself from feeling a sense of triumph if she had wanted to, especially when she slipped through her entry point with ease. 

But unlike in her dreams, the thorns did not simply part for her. However, Jester had come prepared with a small axe with diamonds encrusted into the hilt, and began chopping a path for herself. It was not easy work, and her legs were cut up something awful, but as the sunset’s brilliant colors gave way to a midnight blue sky, she finally reached the center of the arena. 

“Hi,” she whispered, staring up at the statue. He was much taller than he had ever seemed in her dreams. 

He did not respond, of course, but she still smiled up at him. 

Suddenly, a sudden urge overtook her, and she reached up on her tiptoes. 

“It’s good to meet you,” she whispered, and she kissed his stone lips. 

As she kissed the statue, his lips seemed to get warmer and softer. But of course, it must have been her imagination. 

“Scieße!” a man’s voice cried as the statue pulled away from her. Wait…

Jester opened her eyes, and was met not with a statue, but a man with flaming orange hair and bright blue eyes. His coat was a rich purple.

Suddenly, she understood the phrase live in living color.

“A-are you-“ she stammered.

“Schieße, my neck,” he muttered through a heavy accent, “Hallo.”

“Hi,” she said breathlessly. What was going on? “Um, not to be rude, but what the fuck?”

“I-it is a long story,” he said, “Um, what year is it?” 

“837 P.D.,” she said. 

He nodded. 

“Wh- are you- what year are you from?” 

He chuckled. 

“Um… 432?” he asked. 

She stared at him in shock. He was over four hundred years old?

“What happened to you?” she asked.

He sighed, brushing back his flaming locks.

“Do you know the man Ikithon the Awesome?” he asked, staring at her curiously.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, “But he sounds cool. Did he host a lot of parties?”

The shadow of a smile appeared on his face for just a moment, but it disappeared just as quickly. Had it only been a trick of the light? 

“Nein, he did not mean that sort of awesome. More awe inspiring; terrifying, if we are being honest.”

A strange, heavy sensation entered her stomach as she sat down on the steps of the amphitheater. After a moment’s pause, the man sat down next to her. 

“He was a cruel man, ruling over these lands. I was… selected to be one of his pupils. One of his executioners. He would bring people to these places to have them killed, make a show of what happens to those who did not obey.”

“Did you fight against him?” she asked, trying to put together the puzzle in her head. 

The man chuckled for a moment before a look of pain overtook his face as he shook his head. 

“I could have. I should have. But I didn’t, not for years. And then-then my mother and father were put in front of me.”

Jester’s jaw all but dropped. She wanted to ask questions, but the man pressed on. 

“I had to do something, I had to, but I froze. I froze, and Ikithon could see my weakness. He decided… to make a show of what happened to those who were not loyal. He enchanted this place so that I could not leave as he gathered the most dangerous creatures he could think of- a true spectacle for the people,” he added the last part with a bitter laugh.

“But then, how did you…” she trailed off. 

“I was here, starving, waiting for my execution. It was set to be the next morning. And then I saw a shooting star, and made a wish. It had never worked before, but I-I was hopeless. And then he showed up. A man-I never saw his face; he wore a green cloak-“

“The Traveler?” she interrupted, blushing. The strange man stared at her curiously.

“Is that who brought you here?” 

She nodded.

“Then it seems so. He appeared in front of me, promising that I would live to see a world without Ikithon and his terror, if I agreed to his plan. He would fill this place with deadly thorns. And even if Ikithon found a way to part the thorns, it would not matter, for I would be flesh turned stone until touched by one whose compassion knew no bounds.” 

He turned to her, and Jester felt cheeks blooming with blush. 

“And that person is you, Jester Lavorre.”

“I don’t- I guess if the Traveler said it… But wait, what are you going to do now?”

He shrugged. 

“Live. I have not lived in a world of life and laughter and color since I was a young man. I wish to find that.”

“Well, that’s what the Traveler is all about!” she said joyfully, “I can teach you!”

He stared at her for a moment, those bright blue eyes piercing into her very soul.

“Okay,” he said. 

“Great!” she said, standing up, “Let’s go!”

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“Well, we have a whole new world to explore, don’t we?” 

He smiled, and this time, she was sure it was real. 

“Ja, we do.”

And hand in hand, they walked out into the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is! I hope you enjoyed that! If you did, please do all the things below that give me serotonin! <3


End file.
